WHO'S QUIT TODAY?

The roll call of rebels and resignations continues to grow, as pressure increases on Keir Starmer.  The first ministerial resignation was confirmed prior to a Cabinet meeting in Number Ten at 09:30.  Communities minister Miatta Fahnbulleh (Peckham) wrote: "Our country faces enormous challenges and people are crying out for the scale of change that this requires.  The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I".

Starmer survived the Cabinet meeting relatively unscathed by all accounts, but he is reported to have refused point blank to meet with a group of ministers after the meeting.  The group apparently wanted to discuss his leadership.  Is he in denial?  Many of those in attendance were pictured entering Downing Street in good spirits and all smiles, in particular Dave Lammy, but also Peter Kyle, Darren Jones, Liz Kendall and Lord Hermer.  On the other hand, Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband arrived stony-faced.  Game faces?

More than three hours then passed, before Jess Phillips (Birmingham Yardley) quit her role as safeguarding minister.  She ended her resignation statement thus: "I'm not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership".

Less than 45 minutes later a third minister resigned.  Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd), victims minister, wrote: "I implore you to act in the country's interest and set out a timetable for your departure".

There was another gap until the next resignation, with health minister Zubir Ahmed (Glasgow South West) breaking the news at 16:28:  "It is clear from recent days, that the public across the UK has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as prime minister".  Ahmed is the second resignation from Wes Streeting's department, following yesterday's departure of Joe Morris.

We will update this page if the resignations continue this evening.

TOON TUESDAY #102

No prizes for guessing what this week's selection of toons are focusing on...

Morten Morland for The Times

Dave Brown for The Independent

Morten Morland for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Peter Brookes for The Times

Dave Brown for The Independent.  This is Dave's last toon for the lefty rag
as they have let him go due to budget cuts.  Quite a talent, hopefully he
pops up somewhere else

Morten Morland for The Sunday Times

Steve Bright for The Sun

Andy Bunday on Instagram

Graeme Bandeira for The Northern Agenda

Pete Songi for The Guardian

Peter Brookes for The Times

Matt Pritchett for The Daily Telegraph

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Christian Adams for The Sunday Telegraph

Matt Pritchett for The Sunday Telegraph

THE CASCADE BEGINS?

After several hours of relative calm on Monday afternoon, the resignations began.  The first came at 18:00 on the dot - Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) quit his position as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds.  He declared: "It is clear to me that the PM has lost authority, not just within the Parliamentary Labour Party, but across the country".  He added that he did not 'have faith in the PM' to meet the challenge posed by Reform UK.

Rutland was followed minutes, if not seconds later, by the PPS to Wes Streeting.  Joe Morris (Hexham) wrote: "It is in the best interests of the country and the party that the PM sets out a swift timetable to ensure that a new leader is in place to regain the confidence of the public".

Morris was followed around 45 minutes later by Naushabah Khan (Gillingham and Rainham), PPS to the Cabinet Office.  She called for 'new leadership' and 'a clear change of direction'.

Over an hour passed before a fourth PPS resigned.  Melanie Ward (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy) stood down as Dave Lammy's PPS and echoed earlier resignation statements by declaring that the PM no longer had the 'trust and confidence of the public'.

The number of MPs publicly calling for Starmer to go is now also rising steadily.  Last night it stood at 42, but it has now risen to 64.  Earlier today the Housing Secretary Steve Reed claimed that 'around 90 per cent' of MPs wanted the PM to stay on.  Within hourse of this interview the number of MPs calling on Starmer to go had risen to almost 16 per cent of the PLP.

Oops!

MEME MONDAY #82

As to be expected in an election week, Karl ramped up the memes...

Mon 4 May - 11 shares

Mon 4 May - 542 shares

Mon 4 May - 1,727 shares

Tue 5 May - 50 shares.  Perfect framing!

Tue 5 May - 16 shares

Tue 5 May - 25 shares

Tue 5 May - 90 shares

Wed 6 May - 779 shares

Wed 6 May - 332 shares

Wed 6 May - 148 shares

Wed 6 May - 4 shares.  The result was as follows...
Con = 17
Ref = 277
Other = 6
No vote = 62

Thu 7 May - 983 shares

Thu 7 May - 1 share.  The first of two new Facebook cover photos

Thu 7 May - 6 shares.  The second cover photo is based on the Night King
from Game of Thrones

Thu 7 May - 5 shares.  We thought all the trannies were standing for the
Greens.  We were wrong!

Thu 7 May - 12 shares.  Cartoon by Christian Adams

Fri 8 May - 183 shares.  The worst day in the history of
Labour in Wales

Fri 8 May - 8 shares

Sat 9 May - 59 shares

Sun 10 May - 987 shares

Sun 10 May - 12 shares

Sun 10 May - 2 shares.  In honour of Bono's birthday.  The ultra narcissist is an
alumni of the WEF, a personal friend of Tony Blair's and all round
progressive tit

Sun 10 May - 35 shares

Sun 10 May - 35 shares.  Cartoon by Grizelda

It was also a bumper week for Facebook Stories...

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TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

Catherine West's attempt to force a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer appears to have failed.  The Labour backbencher released a statement shortly after Starmer's make or break speech on Monday morning, which received a luke warm response at best.

West's statement in full:

"I have listened to the prime minister's speech this morning.  I welcome the renewed energy and ideas.  However, I have reluctantly concluded that this morning’s speech was too little, too late.

The results last Thursday show that the Prime Minister has failed to inspire hope.  What is best for the party and country now is for an orderly transition.

I am hereby giving notice to No 10 that I am collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the Prime Minister to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September.

I want to thank everyone who has been in contact over the weekend to offer good wishes.  We need our best top team in place to fight the next election.  We owe working people up and down the country nothing less."

The news will be disappointing for Starmer's critics, especially as momentum seemed to build throughout Sunday.  The number of MPs publicly calling on him to go had more than doubled in 24 hours, from 20 to 42.  Both Streeting and Rayner also emerged from their collective post-election bunkers on Sunday evening.  Streeting is reported to have told Starmer that he is 'prepared to succeed him', but would not challenge the PM directly.  Weak.

Meanwhile, Rayner put Starmer on notice in a speech, declaring: "What we are doing isn't working, and it needs to change".  However, instead of positioning herself as the person to make that change, she endorsed the return of Andy Burnham to the Commons: "We must show we understand the scale of change the moment calls for, that means bringing our best players into Parliament".  It had been a 'mistake' to block him from standing in Gorton and Denton, she added.

There is still no sign that an MP is willing to make way for Burnham, but it could happen in the coming days as plotters look to keep up the pressure on Starmer.  Whether or not West's threat to raise a petition of Labour MPs can contribute to the pressure remains to be seen, but it would need to contain significantly more than the 42 MPs currently calling on him to go.

Starmer appears to be safe for another day, but it's going to be a long week as he licks his wounds on tenterhooks.

WEST STICKS TO HER GUNS

"The voters sent us a very strong message that we are not good enough".  That was Catherine West's justification for her sensational intervention in trying to force Keir Starmer out of Number Ten.  West was speaking to Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday morning, with the BBC presenter making light of her chances.  While it's true, not many Labour MPs have swung behind her move publicly - barely any in fact - many others have said nothing.  This silent majority could spring a surprise on Monday, unless West backs out at the last minute.  She needs 81 comrades to nominate her.

Towards the end of the interview, West was repeatedly asked about reports that allies of other potential leadership candidates had put pressure on her to stand down.  Kuenssberg named Andy Burnham as one of those who had been exerting such pressure.  West repeatedly refused to address the reports and remained steadfast.

Watch below (4 minute watch)

Andy Burnham is probably the only leadership hopeful with a justifiable gripe about West's intervention.  As he is currently on the outside looking in, and cannot participate in a leadership election, he needs more time to enact his reported plan of re-entering the Commons.  However, despite the dust now settling on the election results, no MP has resigned or even signalled their intention to stand aside for him.  Time is not on Burnham's side, especially if West gains the signatures and forces a contest.  A by-election can take up to five weeks to hold and by then it would be too late for Burnham to join the fray.

Other potential challengers have remained tight-lipped since election day, especially Angela Rayner.  She has not posted any response at all to Labour's mauling.  If she and Wes Streeting are serious about succeeding Starmer, they have the most to gain from West's intervention.  The one drawback is that MPs can only nominate one candidate, so it could potentially be very difficult for either of them to gain enough signatures if West successfully collects 81 names herself.

Will either of them strike first in order to head off a potential threat from Burnham?  The silence is deafening.

BOATWATCH #58

Twelve boats were intercepted last week, just an increase of one from the previous week.  However, these boats were carrying more colonists, which boosted the numbers delivered to our shores by almost 200.  An average of 65 colonists were loaded onto each boat last week, compared to 54 the previous week.  2026 is still closely tracking the trajectory of 2022, which remains the biggest year for small boat arrivals.

Total = 780 (up 183 from previous week)